How much do you know about the 1990s? Not a lot?
Well, the 1990s were an electronic decade. The World
Wide Web was born in 1992. By 1998 100 million
people were online! In fashion, hip-hop style was
popular: jeans were baggy—the bigger the better!
Some popular American TV shows were Friends, Beverly
Hills 90210 and ER. Hit movies
included Titanic, Terminator 2
and The Silence of the Lambs.
Mariah Carey, the Backstreet
Boys and the Spice Girls were
all big in the 1990s.

World Wide Web users
Fashion
Popular American
TV shows

4 Reading

Hit movies

a Read the article. Then cover the text and see how
much you can remember with your partner.

Popular pop stars
and bands

b Read the article again and complete the fact file.

5 Listening
a 2.31 Listen to the conversation. What’s the
problem?
b 2.31 Listen again and complete the
conversation.
really was lots rule go were
Mom: Fred, do you know what time it is?
Fred: Uh oh! It’s late! Sorry, Mom!
Mom: Yes, it’s late! It’s ten o’clock! Where
(1)

you? Why are you so late?

Fred: Um, I (2)

with some friends at Gaby’s

house. There were (3)

of cool people!

Mom: I don’t care! You know the (4)

is

“home by nine o’clock.”
Fred: I know, I’m (5)
Mom: Well, (6)

sorry, Mom.
to bed. You’re grounded for

two weeks.
Fred: Ah, Mom! Come on!

6 Everyday English: making excuses
a Work in pairs. Act out the dialogue.
Student A: turn to page 119.
Student B: turn to page 126.

Unit 8

91

Lesson 1

All about the
stars!
Talk about events in the past (regular
verbs)
Say years

1

Reading

a Read the article. Who was Steve Irwin?

The Crocodile Hunter
Steve Irwin was a conservationist and TV
personality. He was born in Australia in 1962.
His parents opened Australia Zoo in 1971, and
for his sixth birthday he received a very special
present from them—a python! Steve studied at
home and also learned how to catch crocodiles.
Steve’s parents retired in 1991, and he started
to manage the zoo. A year later he produced
his first TV documentary, The Crocodile Hunter.
Steve’s TV series was popular all over the world.
Steve died in September 2006. He was killed
by a stingray at the Great Barrier Reef in eastern
Australia.
One last fact! Steve Irwin was a very brave man,
but he was afraid of parrots! As he said, “Parrots
are a lot of smarter than crocodiles!”

2 Grammar: He studied at home.
a Underline the past verb forms in the text.
b How do we form the past simple of regular
verbs?
c Complete the sentences about Steve’s life.
marry appear film visit
1. Steve
over 70 episodes of The
Crocodile Hunter.
2. In 1992 Steve
Oregon.

Terri Raines from

3. They met when Terri
4. In 2001 Steve
Dolittle 2.

the zoo.
in the movie Doctor

d Say a verb. Your partner will make a true
sentence about Steve’s life.
Open.
The zoo opened in 1971.

Spelling of regular past tense verbs:
open—opened
study—studied

die—died
stop—stopped

8
3 Listening
a 2.32 Listen to Sonia’s presentation and write
why Oprah Winfrey is famous.
1.
2.
3.
b 2.32 Listen again and match to make
sentences about Oprah’s life.
1. In 1954

she started to live
with her dad.

2. When she was six,

The Oprah Winfrey
Show started.

3. In 1968

Oprah was born in
Mississippi.

4. When she was 32,

she moved to
Milwaukee.

c Discuss in pairs. Do you watch Oprah’s show or
any other talk shows? Do you like them?

4 Grammar: She didn’t study journalism.
a How do we form the past simple negative?
Look at the examples and complete the rule.
She didn’t want to live in Milwaukee.
Her parents didn’t live in the same city.
1. Subject + did +

+ main verb

b Match the questions with the answers.
1. Did she live in Nashville?

Yes, she did.

2. Did she study art at college?

No, she didn’t.

1987—nineteen eighty-seven
2004—two thousand and four

5 Vocabulary: years
a Complete the sentences about the famous
people.
1968 1983 1996 2001
1. The Spice Girls recorded “Wannabe” in
2. Will Smith was born in

.

.

4. The Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in

1. Yes/No questions:
+ subject + main verb?

.

3. Mariah Carey and Luis Miguel separated
in

c Now complete the rules.

We say years in English like this:

b 2.33

.

Now listen and check your answers.

2. Answers:
Yes, +
No, + subject +

+ did.
+ not.

d How much do you remember about Oprah’s
life? Ask your partner.
Did she live with her grandmother?
Yes, she did.

6 Speaking: A star profile
a Work in pairs. Ask about Daniel Craig’s life to
find and correct six mistakes.
Student A: turn to page 120.
Student B: turn to page 127.

Unit 8

93

Lesson 2

She had a dream.

2 Vocabulary: space travel

Talk about events in the past (irregular
verbs)

a Match the travel words with the definitions.

Talk about trips and traveling

1

Reading

a Look at the picture. What do you think the
article is about? Read and find out.

1. astronaut (n)

when a plane or spacecraft
returns to the ground

2. flight (n)

a vehicle that can travel
in space

3. take off (v)

a journey in a plane or
spacecraft

4. spacecraft (n)

a person who travels in
space

5. land (v)

when a plane or spacecraft
leaves the ground

b Can you guess the meaning of these words?
Check your answers in a dictionary.
weightless, sleeping bag, straw, sunrise, sunset

3 Grammar: Why did she go to space?

ist
First female space tournted

dream. She wa
Anousheh Ansari had a
ace tourist. She paid
to be the first female sp
to participate in a
about 20 million dollars
Space Station in
flight to the International
Russia to train for
2006. Anousheh went to
t took off from the
the flight. The spacecraf
on September 18,
Baikonur Cosmodrome
ightless atmosphere,
2006. Because of the we
ing bag on the wall.
Anousheh slept in a sleep
drank liquids through
She ate dried food and
eriments. Every day
a straw. She also did exp
d sunsets! Finally,
she saw 16 sunrises an
Anousheh’s spacecraft
after 10 days in space,
mber 29.
landed on Earth on Septe

a Find the irregular past form of the verbs in the
text.
1. have
2. go

3. take
4. sleep

5. eat
6. drink

7. do

8. see

b Read the questions and complete the rule.
Why did Anousheh go to space?
What did she eat on the spacecraft?
1. Wh- word +

+ subject +

?

c Match the questions with the answers.
1. How much did Anousheh pay to go to space?
2. Why did she sleep on the wall?

5 Speaking: Our trips
a Work in pairs. Turn to page 130. Complete the first column of the table about a trip
you took. Then ask your partner the questions and complete the other column.

Unit 8

95

Lesson 3

First, then, finally!
Sequence events
Say dates

Match the events and
dates
and win a computer!

1. Columbus reached the

2. Tim Berners-Lee put

3. Karl Benz received a

4. Apollo 11 landed on

New World.

the first website online.

patent for an automobile
.

the moon.
5. Alexander Graham Be
ll made the first telepho
ne call.
6. The Wright Brothers
made the first powered
flight.
December 17, 1903
October 12, 1492
July 20, 1969
January 29, 1886
March 10, 1876
August 6, 1991

3 Pronunciation: saying dates
a 2.36

1

Listening

Listen and circle the dates you hear.

January 2 March 15 October 22
April 1 September 3 July 13

a Look at the famous historical events and match
them with the dates.
b 2.35 Listen to Lori and Tim and check your
answers.
c 2.35 Listen again. What mistake does Tim
make?

2 Vocabulary: dates
a Work in pairs. Order the dates 1–6.

b 2.37 Work in pairs. Practice saying all the dates.
Then listen and check your pronunciation.
c When are they? Write the dates. Then practice
saying them.
1. Christmas Day
2. Independence Day in my country
3. Valentine’s Day
4. New Year’s Eve

April tenth
November ninth
February twentieth
June twenty-first
May seventh
September eighth
b Work in pairs. Which months are missing?
96

Thomas Edison was born on February 11, 1847. He started
school but had problems. Three months later he left school.

After that he studied at home. He never went to
college, but he studied and experimented all his life.

3

4

In 1871 Edison moved to New Jersey and got his first lab.
Five years later he built a new research lab.

Three of his inventions changed modern life. First he built a
phonograph in 1877. Then he invented the electric light bulb.
Finally he created the first motion picture system.

4 Reading

5 Grammar: First he built a phonograph.

a Read the quotation. Do you think it’s true?
“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninetynine percent perspiration.” Thomas Edison
b Read the comic strip. What were Thomas
Edison’s most famous inventions?
c Complete the questions and the answers.
1. When was Edison born?

2. Where
At home.

b Complete the biography of Henry Ford.
Henry Ford was born in Detroit in 1863. When he
was a boy, he loved fixing clocks.
(1) F

, at the age of 16, he got a job

with the Edison Company. Two years
(2) l

.

On

a Look at the words in orange. They are called
sequence words. Why do we call them this?

, in 1881, he developed the first

gasoline engine. (3) A

study?

t

he developed his first car. At first he
produced racing cars, but
(4) f

3. What did he do in 1871?

he changed to regular cars.

.

He
4. What
The phonograph.

build in 1877?

His first regular car was
the Model T.

d Which of his inventions was the most important?

6 Speaking: The history game!
leave—left

get—got

build—built

a Work in groups. Turn to page 131 and play The
History Game.

Unit 8

97

It’s all in the past!

1

The Almost Awesomes

Hold on,
folks!

Laugh at that, Coco!

It’s working!

I always hated clowns!

2 My vacation was a disaster!

3 Famous people quiz
1. This person crossed the Atlantic in the
first solo flight.
2. This person painted Guernica in 1937.
3. This person created The Simpsons.
4. This person was the first
woman in space.
5. This person starred in Frida.

Activities

1

2 My vacation was a disaster!

The Almost Awesomes

a 2.38

Listen and complete.

saved received worked rescued
1. The Awesomes
2. They
millionaire.
3. They

98

Unit 8

medals.
Will Bates, the
as a team and
Newville.

a 2.39 Listen and number the
pictures 1–3.
b 2.39

Listen again and match.

3 Famous people quiz
a Who were they? Match the
achievements with the people.
Matt Groening

Last summer I went on a great
school trip to Germany. First
we took a train from London
to Cologne: it took five and a
half hours. After that we went
down the Rhine Valley. Then
we stayed in Freiberg, near the
Black Forest. The Black Forest was really
cold! Finally we took the train back home.
We were tired but really happy!

K Q I C
I

K G A

T X H S
V M T E

4 Marco Polo’s famous trip
a 2.40

Beijing

Listen and mark the route.

b 2.40 Listen again and match the
dates with the events.
1. 1271

He arrived back in Venice.

2. 1295

He wrote about his travels.

3. 1298

He left Venice with his uncle.

The first flight attendants all weighed less than
50 kilograms and were single female nurses!

5 This month’s puzzle
a Find eight travel words in the
suitcase.
Find games and learn more about
history. Go to…
www.bbc.co.uk/history/walk

6 My school trip, by Sandra
a Read about Sandra’s trip and list the
places she visited.
b Now write about a trip you took.
Want to find out more about
traveling? Go to...
www.travelforteens.com

Unit 8

99

Learning English in the 21st Century
1

Scanning for information
on the Internet

a Read the homework task. Then read
about the Inca Trail and underline
the information you need.

You want to go to Machu Picc
hu and need to find out
this information:

1. How far is the trip from Cusco
to Machu Picchu?
2. How long does the trek take?
3. How do you return to Cusco
at the end of the trip?
4. How much does the trip cos
t?

The Inca Trail
The Inca Trail is a jungle hike in Peru from the ancient city of
Cusco to the sacred Inca city of Machu Picchu. It is usually
possible to do the 45-kilometer trek in four days and then
you return to Cusco by train.
You need to be a healthy person to hike this trail,
as it is difficult in some places, and it climbs
to altitudes of 4200 meters in some
parts. To prepare for the trip, it is
important to spend at least two
full days in Cusco. Prices for
the classic four-day trek start
at about $240 USD per person
(including entrance fees and
return by train).

2 Making timelines
a Read the article and complete the timeline.
Dave Kunst was the first person to walk around the world. Dave walked
14,450 miles (23,250 kilometers) across four continents and thirteen
countries. He used twenty-one pairs of shoes. He started in Waseka,
Minnesota with his brother John on June 20, 1970, and finished in October
1974. They reached New York in January 1971 and flew to Portugal. They
got to Turkey in June 1971 and arrived in Afghanistan in October 1972.
Tragically John was killed by bandits in Afghanistan in the same month.
Dave continued and walked across Pakistan and India.
Finally he crossed Australia in 1974.
1970
Dave and John started
walking around the
.

1974
They went to New York,
Portugal and Turkey.

John was killed
in Afghanistan.

Dave crossed
and finished the walk.

b Write about some important events in your life and draw a timeline to illustrate them.
100

Unit 8

Unit 8

Project
My family history
a Read about Constanza’s grandmother and answer the questions about her.

My grandmother
1. What is her name?
2. When and where was she born?
3. Where did she live when she was a child?
4. What was her profession?
5. When did she get married?
6. How many children did she have?
7. Other interesting facts about her:

b Find out about one of your grandparents
and write notes in your notebook.
c Write a text about your grandmother
or grandfather. Then ask a classmate to
check your work. Write the final version
on a clean sheet of paper.
d Illustrate your work with photos or
pictures of your grandmother’s or
grandfather’s life.
e Present your work to your classmates.
f Vote for the most interesting
grandmother or grandfather.

My grandmother

by Constanza Aburto
Villegas

My grandmother’s na
me is
Maria del Carmen Ro
driguez

de Villegas. She was
born in
Malaga, Spain in 1934.
She
had two brothers. Sh
e was just a baby du
ring
the Spanish Civil War.
After the war, her fa
mily
emigrated to Mexico.
They lived in Puebla an
d
she went to school th
ere. In 1954 she traine
d
as a nurse and then
met my grandfather.
He
was a doctor. They go
t married in 1959. Th
ey
had three children, inc
luding my mother. No
w
she and my grandfat
her are retired and my
grandmother looks af
ter my grandfather an
d
reads a lot. She’s als
o a very good cook.
I love her food.